Versailles + LoN Flashcards
What is the treaty of Versailles?
The treaty of Versailles was a treaty which signified the end of WW1 on June 29th 1919.
Who were the big three?
France, The British Empire, The USA
what were the main terms of the ToV
Guilt
Germany had to accept sole guilt for starting WW1
Reparations
Germany had to pay £6.6billion to allies, set to last until 1948 (over £400 billion today)
Territory
Germany lost 13% of European territory, 12% population, 16% coal, 48% iron (and the ‘Polish corridor’ separated East Prussia rom rest of Germany)
! ALSO forbade Germany from reuniting with former ally Austria (via Anschluss)
Colonies
G lost all its colonies which was split between France and Britain
Rhineland
No soldiers/fortifications allowed on the Rhineland (bordering France)
Military
G’s army was capped to 100,000 (in 1914 it was at 2 million), its navy could only have 6 battleships, and submarines, aircraft and armoured vehicles were banned.
Conscription was banned, Rhineland became a demilitarised zone
LoN
Organisation made for settling disputes peacefully and avoiding war (Germany not allowed to join)
Who of the Big Three would’ve been pleased/not about the guilt term?
Fr, Br would have been pleased, however USA would have viewed this as revenge and not liked it
Who of the Big Three would’ve been pleased/not about the reparations term?
This would cripple Germany, meaning they would remain weak and not a threat to Fr (+Br)
All 3 would’ve been happy as they all benefited
Who of the Big Three would’ve been pleased/not about the Territory term?
Took away money (in terms of coal and iron), keeping G weak
Fr benefited and would have been pleased as they gained land
It didn’t particularly benefit USA, and they might’ve viewed it as too harsh
Who of the Big Three would’ve been pleased/not about the Colonies term?
Took away all of G’s international power
Benefited Br and Fr as they gained all colonies and therefore more power.
The USA/Wilson not as pleased because they didn’t like colonies and would rather they be independent
Who of the Big Three would’ve been pleased/not about the Rhineland term?
More safety and protection for France
This would please France as they have more protection against Germany
Who of the Big Three would’ve been pleased/not about the military term?
It humiliates Germany
It leaves them more vulnerable, meaning they are less likely to go to war
This would please all three as this means more safety.
Who of the Big Three would’ve been pleased/not about the LoN term?
To achieve world peace
USA would be particularly pleased
What were WIlson’s 14 points?
In 1917, when the USA joined WW1, WIlson drew up 14 points as the basis for ending the war fairly and preventing future war
what’s a summary of Wilsons points (14)
A summary of the points:
No secret treaties
Free access to seas in peacetime or wartime
Free trade between countries
All countries to work towards disarmament
Colonies have a say about their own futures
German troops to leave Russia
Independence for Belgium
France to regain Alsace-Lorraine
Frontier between Austria and Italy to be adjusted
Self determination for people in Eastern Europe (rule themselves, not be a part of an empire)
Serbia to have access to the sea
Self determination for people in the Turkish empire
Poland to become an independent state with access to the sea
League of Nations to be set up
How Successfully were the points implemented?
Success- many of the points were implemented such as France regaining Alsace and Lorraine, independence for Belgium, Italy - Austria frontier being adjusted, point 10
Not Success- THere was some failed self determination such as when the Ottoman empire was split, British empire, Germany’s colonies.
What was the Paris Peace Conference? 1919-1920
The PPC took place in the Palace of Versailles and lasted for 12 months.
At the conference, 32 countries were supposed to be represented, but none of the defeated countries were invited.
5 treaties were drawn up including the ToV (dealing with Germany), and others dealing with Germany’s allies. All important decisions were made by ‘The Big Three’, who were supported by a huge army of diplomats and expert advisers (however they were often ignored).
When was the Paris Peace Conference?
1919-1920
What were the specific clashes between the Big Three at the Paris peace conference?
C vs W - USA did not suffer anywhere as much as Fr and wilson was more generous. They disagreed over the Saar coalfields, Germany’s Rhineland. In the end W had to compromise but in return W got self determination (affecting the other 4 treaties not ToV).
C vs LG - LG didn’t want to be too harsh and C felt that the Br were happy to treat G fairly, where Br and Fr were most under threat but not happy to allow G to keep navy and colonies, which would be more of a threat to Br (Clemenceau thought Britain was self-interested)
W vs LG - Self determination threatened the British empire and Br didn’t want all nations ot have access to the seas
In the Paris peace conferences, the B3 used the treaty of Bret-Litvosk to justify their actions.
What was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?
In March 1918, Russia surrendered to Germany. R lost 34% of its population, 54% of its industry, 89% coal, and lots of its land.
However, this was the old government, which was overthrown at the end of the war, and therefore many Germans found this unfair
What were German criticisms of the Treaty of Versailles?
Germans had to accept blame for everything - they disagreed and felt at least that the blame was shared
also bitter that germany was expected to pay for all damages of war even though Germany’s economy was severely weakened
Disarmament was very small for a country of Germany’s size, the army was a symbol of German pride. No other countries were forced to disarm in this way despite W14P calling for this
The loss of territory was a huge blow for Germans as it damaged both their pride and economy. E.g., both the Saar and Upper Silesia were important industrial areas. In addition, Br and Fr were gaining power from their colonies whilst Germany just grew weaker
Non representation meant that Germany’s government was not represented at peace talks and was treated harshly
Not being invited to LoN, forbidden Anschluss with Austria etc.
What was the Weimar republic?
The ‘government’ of Germany from 9th November 1918 to 23rd March 1933. This new government overthrew the government that took Germany to war in 1914, (in the revolution in 1918). They hoped for fair, equal treatment from the allies but were horrified when the terms of the ToV were announced (7th May). It seemed as though war would break out as the new government rejected the treaty, however they could not afford another war.
In the Weimar republic there were left and right wing parties, the left wanted equality, worker’s rights etc., and the right wing valued the importance of traditional values, supported capitalism, and were nationalistic.
What were the issues in the Weimar republic?
the threat from the left (e.g., Spartacist uprising), and right (Kapp Putsch, Munich Putstch), other problems like occupation fo the Ruhr and hyperinflation
what threats were there from the left for the Weimar republic?
The spartacist uprising was a general strike against the government from the 4th-15th January 1919. The leaders of the Spartacists were Rosa Luxemborg and Karl Leibknecht and they wanted to achieve a communist revolution, inspired by the Bolsheviks in Russia in 1917. They were supported by some soldiers and sailors.
The leader of Germany, Freidreich Ebert, was forced to bring in the Freikorps, groups of ex-soldiers who had not/refused to disarm. They hated the communists more than they hated the Weimar Republic so they agreed to help
The uprising was swiftly defeated; both leaders were shot among others. However, the communists were undeterred and continued in Bavaria, Munich being the capital (redistributing food, money, houses to the working class) from 7th April 1919. However in May they were crushed again (by Freikorps) and over 600 communists were killed in Munich alone.
Later on in the Ruhr industrial workers liked the idea of communism and the police, army, Freikorps dealt with it (around 2000 casualties).
This had a negative impact on the Weimar republic as it created chaos, instability, and made the government look weak (like a mouse being thrown between two cats). The treaty of Versailles was not responsible for this as it was before it was signed.
what threats were there from the right for the Weimar republic?
The Kapp Putsch was a result of the uprising of communism. This is because the government used the Freikorps, ex military and right wing, to crush communism, but after all communist movements were crushed, their nationalist/monarchist views were threats to the new system because many wished to return back to a monarchy. On 29th February 1920, Defence minister Noske ordered the disbandment of the 2 most powerful Freikorps, which set in motion a series of events led by right wing Wolfgang Kapp and other high ranking military personnel. Kapp and his followers seized Berlin.
The government tried to use the army to suppress this new threat however the Freikorps were all ex-army so almost all army units refused to fight all their old comrades. Therefore the German government fled Berlin and Kapp declared himself the chancellor of Germany. In the last attempt, the German government appealed to the workers of Berlin (who were mostly not conservative/communist) to resist the Kapp Putsch. It worked and so a general strike was declared, meaning there was no public transport, factories, or even utilities like oil and gas being supplied. This caused a standstill and Kapp and his followers fled (Kapp died awaiting trial).
It had a negative impact on the Weimar republic as it weakened support. The treaty of Versailles could be partially to blame as it could’ve sparked anger in the German people, making the nationalists become a threat.
The Munich Putsch was a failed attempt by the Nazi party under Adolf Hitler to seize Bavaria from the 8-9th November 1923. Hitler hoped that there would be general right wing support due to the occupation of the Ruhr, hyperinflation which increased poverty and made Germans furious with the government.
In November, he surprised right wing leaders at gunpoint during a meeting and demanded their support; however they were easily defeated by the regular army who had been warned in advance. Despite the failure, Hitler, who was imprisoned, received public support (especially at trial where he presented his revolt as a way to undermine the ToV and make Germany great again). Whilst in prison, where he spent 9 months, he wrote Mein Kampf.
what was the Kapp Putsch?
The Kapp Putsch was a result of the uprising of communism. This is because the government used the Freikorps, ex military and right wing, to crush communism, but after all communist movements were crushed, their nationalist/monarchist views were threats to the new system because many wished to return back to a monarchy. On 29th February 1920, Defence minister Noske ordered the disbandment of the 2 most powerful Freikorps, which set in motion a series of events led by right wing Wolfgang Kapp and other high ranking military
what was the Munich Putsch?
The Munich Putsch was a failed attempt by the Nazi party under Adolf Hitler to seize Bavaria from the 8-9th November 1923. Hitler hoped that there would be general right wing support due to the occupation of the Ruhr, hyperinflation which increased poverty and made Germans furious with the government.
In November, he surprised right wing leaders at gunpoint during a meeting and demanded their support; however they were easily defeated by the regular army who had been warned in advance. Despite the failure, Hitler, who was imprisoned, received public support (especially at trial where he presented his revolt as a way to undermine the ToV and make Germany great again). Whilst in prison, where he spent 9 months, he wrote Mein Kampf.
when was the Munich Putsch?
8-9th November 1923
when was the Kapp Putsch?
Feb 1920
